Win My Love
by AdventurousLife
Summary: He loved her. He lied to her. He kept her away from her freedom but now he has changed. Can Dave ever win over Karla's heart or is she not yet ready to forgive him? That's were Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear come in. But a deadly threat is exposed which threaten Karla's life. In the end you never know who you can trust. Can they save her before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, the author here with my latest story. Please review.**

"Okay brothers, gather up, the latest movie on Karate Kick is about to start." Grizz explained joyously, pulling Panda and Ice Bear towards the couch in front of their TV.

"Ice Bear loves a good ninja show."

"Don't we all." Panda agreed.

All three bears shuffled onto the couch, nudging each other for more space. Grizz squealed with pure excitement as he turned the TV as the three bears settled to enjoy an evening of Karate Kick. The show kept them occupied, that is until the advertisements came on focusing the Bears attention back onto each other.

"Hey guys I just remembered something."

"What did you remember bro?" Grizz asked, scooping his paw with salty popcorn before stuffing it all into his mouth.

"You guys remember what happened years ago when we were just Cubs?"

"Ice Bear remembers a lot of things."

"Be more specific Panda,' Grizzly explained, stuffing his already full mouth with even more popcorn. 'A lot of things happened when we were just Cubs."

"I'm talking about the time we got shipwrecked onto that island, you know, with Karla, and Dave..."

"Dave..." Grizz muttered eyebrows frowning.

"Dave..." Ice Bear mumbled, crushing popcorn in his paw.

"Dave..." All three bears chorused in unison.

"I honestly wonder what happened to that guy after we escaped. I mean, was he trapped in that island forever?"

"We would never know Grizz, though he did kinda deserve it after whale did to Karla."

"Come on Panda, he was a bad guy and everything but no one deserves that kind of punishment."

"You're right..." Panda admitted.

Another half an hour into the movies when the advertisements came back on the three bears discovered something which shattered their hearts into a millions pieces...

They had finished all the popcorn!

"Nice going Grizz!' Panda exclaimed, 'how the heck are we supposed to finish the rest of the movie without a single pop corn?!"

"Woah woah woah, I wasn't the only one who ate it. Geesh!"

"Ice Bear thinks we should just buy more popcorn."

"Come on!" Grizz yelled running to the door. "We can still make it before the movie comes back on."

Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear raced down the streets of their home town which they loved beyond their hearts, waving at Chloe as they raced past her house.

"Bros look, the supermarket!"

All three made a beeline for the entry, only to end up stuck into the door way.

"Popcorn, popcorn, popcorn... Where is that popcorn?" I wonder if Grizz and Ice are having better luck...

Ice Bear searched aisle after aisle but to no luck.

"Ice Bear can't find popcorn."

"Popcorn, popcorn, ah popcorn! Found it." Grizz raced to the shelve but just as his hand touched the plastic of the bag he ran straight into someone and fell flat on his face.

"Oh my gosh Sir, I am so sorry..."

"No I'm sorry, I wasn't watching were I was going." A man stretched out his hand to a fallen Grizz who politely accepted it.

"Thanks man."

But one look at the man's brown hair, tan skin and black familiar eyes and his first impression back flipped into a completely different impression.

"Wait a minute, you look kind of familiar..."

"Do I now Mr Bear because I know that I haven't seen you anywhere before. Of course now, there were those young bear cubs who got in between my plans of winning over the girl of my dreams..."

The man's whole face crumpled when he saw Panda and Ice Bear run into the aisle.

"Grizz! Grizz! Did you find the popcorn? Karate Kick could start any minute now..." A desperate Panda ranted, stopping abruptly when he saw the brown haired man.

"Uh Grizz, who's he?"

"I'm Dave." The familiar man introduce himself.

"He's Dave."

"Dave?" Panda asked eyes wide, recognition slowly sweeping in.

"Dave?" Ice Bear asked.

"Dave?" Grizz asked doing a double take.

"Bears?!" A bewildered Dave practically yelled.

"Oh my gosh Dave, is that really you?" Panda questioned, stepped closer to him.

"Yes it's me, I promise I'll explain everything, but I really need you bear's help. I need you to help me win over Karla's heart..."

 **What do you guys think? Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

Silence. It streaked through the air, embracing those near it in its cold embrace. A silence which stretched on forever, accompanied by emotionless glances which remained frozen in place. Then...

"AHHH GET AWAY FROM US YOU CRAZY PHYSICO FREAK!"

The sudden noise shattered the frozen atmosphere, bringing those in it to the cold reality.

Grizz edged towards Panda in a delicate pace, as if any sudden movement might result in a utter catastrophe.

"Pan Pan, hey it's okay, calm down bro, calm down. Everything is going to be alright, I promise. Now, like civilised adults, we're going to very calmly... RUN FOR OUR LIVES!"

That being said the three bears hurtled through the high racks of chocolate bars and crackers, obvious to the desperate plead behind them begging them to stop and determined to get away as far away from the voice as possible.

You know that moment when you know you messed up but no one gives you a chance to explain, that guilt you feel suffocating you mixed with heartbreaking sorrow? Dave signed as he's eyes met the floor, mixed emotions racing through his mind and soul.

"Guess I kinda deserved that."

* * *

"Oh. My. Gosh." Karla? Is that really you?"

"Oh stop playing around with me Kells."

"You look absolutely breathtaking sis. Henry will melt like butter put into a 900 degrees microwave when he sees you."

Karla signed in a mix between satisfaction yet insecurity as she twirled a full circle in front of the full-length silver mirror which adorned the wall of the dressing room. The delicate blue dress danced at her heels as the sequins reflected in kaleidoscope patterns.

"You really think so Kelly?" She wanted to believe it yet her insecure side hovered above her like a ghost, ready to darken her mood at the next received possible moment.

Kelly beamed in a proud manner as she smiled at her elder sister.

"Of course I think so Karla, if you haven't noticed the poor guy hasn't been able to take his eyes of you recently. I think he's completely head over heals in love with you."

"Well we can always hope right? Come on, I think we have a winner, lets pay for it and head over to dad's place. I'm sure that Jacob and Lisa will be excited to see you."

The drive wasn't that long, just twenty minutes to say the most, however Karla sensed a distant presence coming from the direction of her sister and she bacame eager to figure out what the cause for it was.

"Something bothering you Kells?"

"Nothing..."

"Oh come on, you can tell your big sister."

"It's just that,' Kelly signed in a defeated tone, 'I really missed you those months that we were apart. I thought that I'll never see you again." Her voice cracked, completely giving away her true emotions, something that Kelly alway hated happening.

"Oh Kelly, you and I both know that you can't get rid of me that easily."

Kelly's sudden laughter echoed throughout the car.

"Unfortunately."

"But why Karla? Why did you send the rescue boat back for him? He almost kept you there forever, away from you loved ones but you still decided to help him."

"Kelly, do you remember what mum told us when she was back with us?"

Kelly nodded in a slow manner, her eyes casting in a distant manner onto the rugged carpet were her feet gently rested. One look at those sorrow filled eyes and anyone could tell that she was remembering something quite dear to her heart.

"She said that always learn to forgive those you cause you harm. Not because they apologised or they deserve to be forgiven, but because _your_ soul deserves peace. I woke up that day to find myself on the deck of a boat surrounded by people in navy blue uniforms, at first I though I was dreaming but reality kicked in the most unexpected way. Oh Kelly, I literally couldn't stop sneezing from being in the cold for so long. They asked me my story and of course I told them, then the captain of the boat asked me if there were any other people on that island with me. You don't know how badly I wanted to say 'no' Kelly and I was about to as well but then I remembered mum's face. I felt that if I said 'no' then I might be dishonouring her, not being the daughter she would have wanted me to grow up to be. And besides, if I left him on that island he might eventually die, and he's not allowed to die cause then he can't be thrown into a jail cell to suffer for the rest of his life for the pain he caused me."

The last part was a joke to lighten the mood but Kelly didn't have seemed to grasp it. Karla focused her eyes onto the road again, afraid that even if she took her eyes of the road for just a second longer to consult her sister who was softly sobbing on the passenger seat, they might end up with the same fate as their mother.

"Always make the right decision Kelly. Even if you don't want to."

Thus being said the two sisters drive home in silence, the picture of three bear cubs etched in Karla's mind.

 **I know, I should have totally ended this chapter in a cliff hanger but I felt that the ending was still left in a good tone. And I should also try to lengthen the chapters a bit more as well. And I am also going to ask my previous question again... Should I continue? What do you guys thing now?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I'm back with the third chapter. Before we begin I'll like to tell you all the ages of these characters according to this story. I'm not certain on these but approximately I'll say that;**

 **Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear - Around 19 to 21**

 **Karla - 34 if we pretend that she was around 19 regarding events of The Island.**

 **Dave - Around the same age as Karla.**

 **Kelly (Karla's sister) - 31, around three years younger than Karla.**

"JACOB! MY WONDERFUL SWEETHEART!"

"KELLY! THE MISSING PIECE TO MY HEART!"

As the two lovebirds embraced, Karla made her way over to her beloved father.

"Hello dad."

"Karla honey, it's so good to see you again. You know that I wouldn't mind you staying here with Kelly and I, say... forever."

"Dad..." Mr Henderson gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Now now sweetheart, I know that you are more than capable of living by yourself in your own apartment. It's just that I sometimes worry about your safety. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you and I wasn't able to save you... again. I already lost your mother, you and Kelly are the only things I've got left."

"Aww daddy,' Karla embraced her father lovingly, 'I love you but I think it's time I learnt to support myself. I already have my own job, I can't keep on being a burden to you. Besides, you have Kelly to look after."

"I know sweetheart but still..."

Suddenly a polite cough turned both heads towards the direction of Kelly. Sheepishly she stepped forward.

"So, would anyone know where my future sister-in-law is?"

"Lisa had to take a quick phone call." Her father explained, "but I'm sure she's be back in a moment-"

"Wait, wait, wait, hang on a sec Mr H." Jacob waved his hands in the air dramatically, almost as if he was trying to wave away some sort of unpleasant stench.

"Kelly,' he said, turning around to address her, 'future sister-in-law? You're only my girlfriend, we aren't engaged or anything, are we?"

Karla covered her mouth to stifle a giggle whilst Kelly blushed bright red.

"Um well I..."

"Unless this is your way of asking me to marry you, huh Kelly?" Jacob leaned in close to her face, a smirk clearly spreading at seeing her stuttering nervously. "Because if it is I can assure you that Karla will make _me_ a great sister-in-law."

"Aww thanks Jay." Karla and Jacob slung their arms over each other's shoulders whilst Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Come on dad, let's go find Lisa," an annoyed and bright red Kelly marched of, dragging her hysterically laughing father after her.

"You know,' Jacob said turning towards Karla, 'I'm actually panning to propose to her soon."

* * *

Ice Bear grabbed the pan sizzling the mouthwatering sausages from the stove as he danced over to the kitchen table. Then he proceeded to place the sausages on a silver plate whilst mixing a salad containing lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers with the other hand. A delicate aroma filled the air, tickling his nose and causing his stomach to rumble with hunger. In under another five seconds, three plates were placed parallel to each other, two containing sausages whilst the third one was filled with salad for a very special vegetarian brother. Ice Bear then adorned all three plates with cutlery and took them to the loving room where his two brothers lay drowning in thoughts.

"Oh thanks man," Grizz explained graciously, taking one of the plates containing sausages from Ice Bear. He then threw the cutlery aside and in a matter of seconds had gobbled a sausage straight from the plate in an indelicate matter, a scene which made Ice Bear growl quietly in annoyance.

Panda on the other hand, took his time to get into a more adequate position for eating. He then gracefully held the folk whilst twirling a piece of lettuce around it delicately before bringing it to his mouth. Who said brothers had to be the same? That was one of the first things Ice Bear learnt after living with Grizz and Panda for so long. They may be brothers but each held unique personalities, the major thing which made them stand out as individuals. Ice Bear closed his eyes as he let the piece of sausage in his mouth melt slowly, however his hunger soon got the best of him and within seconds he had copied Grizz's exact same reaction to his food.

"Oh you guys,' Panda complained as pieces of sausage from both sides hurtled towards him and got stuck in his fur. 'I'm a vegetarian and this is not how you're supposed to be eating anyway."

"Ice Bear too hungry to care."

Panda rolled his eyes as Grizz finally took a moment to take his eyes away from his food.

"Now brothers, we must go back to thinking of a plan. Dave, as in Dave the same guy who almost succeeded in keeping Karla on that island is here and he wants our help in winning her over."

"Why would he even think that we'll help that messed up douchebag anyway?' Panda muttered whilst popping a piece of cucumber into his mouth. 'I mean, come on how did he escape anyway?"

"Panda,' Grizz placed both hands on his hips like an annoyed mother scolding their child. 'Number one, we must not ask questions like that and number two... that's actually a really good question. What do you think little bro?"

"Dave died. Then he flew of the island. As a ghost."

"Or maybe not," Grizz quickly interrupted.

Panda, still confused and frustrated started matching back and forth across the room.

"It's been around fifteen whole years, he should be over her by now. And come to think of it guys, we have no idea what happened to Karla either."

Grizz rubbed his chin deep in thought. "That's actually a very good point Pan Pan. It's like she disappeared or something, all we know is that when we arrived in Japan there was no Karla with us. What if she got abducted by aliens?!"

"Come on Grizz, don't be stupid, what we need right now really is a plan."

"Ice Bear says we hunt Dave."

"Or maybe,' Grizz said, his eyes lighting up with an idea, 'we should go Karla hunting instead."

"Karla hunting?"

"Think about it Pan Pan, we'll go find Karla and tell her what Dave is up to and save her from him... again. It's the best plan ever!"

"But Grizz, we don't even know where she lives."

"I know right?! That's why it's the best plan ever!' Excitement danced through Grizz's veins as he jumped of the couch and into the floor dramatically. 'But don't worry Pan Pan, where there's a Dave, there's always a Karla nearby!"

 **Well thanks for reading. Please leave a review if possible. Chapter 4 will be released next week everyone so remember to come back soon. We'll get to find more out about Dave and his intentions...**

 **Oh and one more thing, for those of you who are more comfortable with reading stories on Wattpad rather than fanfiction, I have released this story there as well. I am Adventurous Life on fanfiction and you will be able to easily find me as Travelling_Adventure on Wattpad. I know, the names are sorta similar. Or you can search the story up in the search bar, whatever's easier. Thank you again for reading and remember to come back next week.**


	4. Chapter 4

Karla yanked her head up from her pillow with a sudden force, her eyes had immediately grown wide and she placed a trembling hand on her heart which raced with a dramatic speed. She whimpered as scenes from her dream started unfolding in her mind, the same dream which had haunted her for years now. He had scarred her. Scarred her for life. No matter how hard she tried to move on with her life the lingering feelings of betrayal and fear kept on dragging her back to the past. It wasn't fair. She had trusted him, he had been her only friend on that island and he had deliberately destroyed that friendship. He had wanted more. Karla wouldn't call that love, rather obsession. There is a saying which goes, "if you love someone, set them free," only Dave seemed to hold no proper education or knowledge on the subject of love. Why did that dream have to keep haunting her, after so long as well? Karla knew she was happy with her life, she had back her loving father and sister, had successfully succeeded in becoming the manager of her company, a gorgeous crush and co worker, but the thought of not escaping that island, not seeing her sister again was so bitter as to not allow her to enjoy a tranquil sleep at night. Dave sometimes came to mind. She had heard that he had been released from prison some years ago after he was sent there by the law. Back then, she had been given the opportunity to press charges against him and though her closest friends had urged her to turn the tables on him, she didn't have the heart to do that to a person she once called a friend. Prison was enough. She remembered the day they first met on that island that neither had expected to call home for so long.

 _Karla trudged through the blankets of leaves which surfaced the damp ground, causing her once white socks to match the colour of her brown ankle boots. She felt her top grab onto something sharp and she yanked on it hard to release it from its grip. The sudden force of her top being pulled free from the pointy tree branch caused her to stumble back with a force and she yelled in pain when she felt her backside colliding with a rough patch on the ground. Grumbling she got up, picking up her water bottle which had fallen onto the ground next to her. She knew she deserved this, after all, which person with common sense decides to cross through the ocean by themselves anyway? She really did need someone to teach her how to take a proper vacation. Her sister hadn't agreed to this, though young, Kelly was smart for her age and had repeatedly told her elder sister not to go throw herself in death's way. But Karla, oblivious to the consequences, had set of anyway with her adventurous father's support, determined to accomplish one of her childhood dreams._

 _"A stupid dream," she now muttered to herself, as she trudged deeper into the heart of the island. If only she had seen that rock and had managed to glide around it in time then her boat would not have crashed and she would not have needed to swim to the closets dry land she could glimpse. At least she knew how to swim. If she had decided to take this risky adventure by herself with no knowledge or experience of swimming then Karla was sure she would have strangled herself at that very second for her stupidity. Her mother had been a champion swimmer back in her youth and had been determined to teach both Karla and Kelly how to swim straight from a very young age._

 _"Oh mum, if you were here now then you would know how to get me out of this, rationally as well, something which I won't come close to even accomplishing because rational people don't decide to be crazy adventures by themselves." She was sure that she had gotten the adventurous side from her father. Good thing Kelly had gotten their mother's sensibility, otherwise who was sure what mess the both of them would get themselves into together. Lost in thought in an unfamiliar, strange place, Karla was unbeknownst to the sand pit that lay in her path and in a matter of seconds was screaming at the top of her lungs and praying for anyone to help her as she sank deeper into the sand. Just when she thought all hope was lost she head the gentle rustling of leaves and breathed a huge sign of relief when someone held out to her a long dried stick out to her._

 _"Here, grab on!" Karla obediently grabbed on and held for her life as the scruffy looking man yanked her out of the pit. She bent over, holding her knees as she felt the eyes of her saviour studying her curiously. Why he was so curious, she was yet to know. He noticed that she caught him starring and immediately looked away shyly, scratching the back of his neck with the palm of his hand._

 _"Sorry, it's been a while since I've seen another human being. All you see around here are trees, land and well... I guess you know now, sand." Karla stared at him, raising an eyebrow questionably. She was very obvious to the fact that this man who seemed to have lived on this island from birth was beginning to become uncomfortable due to her piercing gaze. She felt her heart fill with triumph, fear was exactly what she was aiming for. At least she knew how to make people feel uncomfortable, because who knew if this man could be trusted or not. She knew that it was he who had saved her life but trusting a stranger on an isolated island was not something she seemed fond of doing He smiled at her awkwardly, not knowing what to say and Karla decided to finally put the poor man out of his misery._

 _"Thank you, for saving me, where am I?" The man breathed out a sign of relief which he seemed to have held for a long time as his tenseness slowly disappeared._

 _"You're welcome and you're in Dave's Island! We have the sweetest pineapples, juiciest mangoes, ripest coconuts and many, many more. I can guarantee for a fact that you, young lady, are going to enjoy you're time here very much indeed."_

 _Karla giggled, it felt good to laugh again and not to feel so lonely after so long. After all, she had spent several days by herself on sea as well. The man noticed her amusement and shared a warm smile, his brown eyes twinkling in the evening light._

 _"Sorry, I guess I'm just trying to be a little enthusiastic, you know, to help you feel welcome here."_

 _Karla gave a soft, sudden yelp when she felt something gently brush against her arm. With one swift movement, she quickly brushed a big black spider which was slowly but surely making a journey over the length of her arm. She shuddered as the deadly looking critter flew away several feet before gently landing on to the mossy ground._

 _"Well,' she turned her attention back to the man with the shaggy looking hair, 'I guess you can say that my initial welcome here wasn't at all that welcome," she said, referring to the sinking sand and the spider whom she encountered just moments before._

 _"Yeah well, it does take some time getting used to," he replied, almost sheepishly. "So, how did you end up here anyway?" Karla shifted from one foot to the other, her hands clasped behind her back as she prepared herself to tell the yet unfamiliar man of her dangerous, adventurous and slightly humiliating story._

 _"Well, I've always had a dream to sail on the ocean by myself, the only problem was I was always too young. I think my love for adventure came from my father who was a reporter and so had to always travel around the world on some crazy adventure. His passion for his job and the pictures he took on every trip inspired me to one day travel on my own. My mother was a national swimming champion and introduced me to water from a very young age. I guess you could say that water and adventure became the perfect combination for me and after my mother left us I wanted nothing but to make her proud and live my life to the fullest. But I guess I wasn't thinking straight, I shouldn't have just left by myself, I didn't prepare for anything like this to happen. There was a huge rock from a cliff in the middle of the ocean and I when I saw it it was too late. I struggled desperately to avoid it and to take my boat around it but the next thing I know there was a huge hole in the side of the boat and less than one minute later, it sank. I swam for some time but then I saw this island. I don't know how I managed to swim all the way here, I was pretty tired but I made it. I started figuring out my whereabouts but then I felt myself sinking. And then... I met you."_

 _Dave started at her for an exceptionally long thing almost as if something was bothering him. Growing impatient, Karla finally mouthed "what" to him._

 _Dave shook his head, "Nothing, it just never seemed to me like you were the type of person who would just fully open up to a stranger."_

 _"Well, it's not like I had a choice anyway, I mean, you do seem like my only friend here after all. My name's Karla by the way, and I'm guessing, owner of "Dave's Island," that you're Dave," she replied, using her fingers to air quote above her head. His eyes shot wide open with a sense of delight as a boyish smile tugged at the corners of his lips which, Karla noticed, seemed chapped from the humidity of the place._

 _"Friend? I like that, I haven't had a friend for over six whole months now. And yeah, I'm Dave."_

 _"Well then Dave, why don't you show your new friend around this island." And as Dave guided her around the place, showing her all the beautiful scenery and introducing her to the few survival techniques she will need until someone eventually came to rescue them, everything had seemed perfect._

Yes, there was no denying it that the situation they were in was bad but on the bright side of things, she had made a new friend and neither were alone anymore. He had soon proved himself to be a great friend as well, and as the two kept each other company and slowly grew closer together, Karla found herself telling Dave her passions, secrets and ambitions.

 _So where did it all go wrong?_ Karla signed as she dragged her exhausted body from the warm comfort of her bed. Settling on a blue blouse and a pair of jeans she scurried out of the house and began running for the bus stop. She had spent so much time lingering on the past that time had slipped by, causing her to lose track of the time she was supposed to be out of the front door. Though Karla shared everything from her past with Dave, from her happiest moments to the most tragic ones such as her mother's death, it had always bothered her deep down inside that he was never open around her. He tended to keep his past a secret and whenever Karla inspected about his family he would brush the questions away. She presumed that he wasn't very close to them but what really bothered her was that he seemed to lack trust in her. If they were friends, shouldn't he have trusted her the way she trusted him? But Karla never questioned this, instead she waited for him to come to her. She knew that he would tell her everything when he was ready, whenever that may be.

She skidded to a halt at the bust stop and looked around frantically, but to her bewilderment, caught a glimpse of the bus heading around the corner. She was too late, it had left without her. Looking for a taxi was no use, there were hardly any at that time and if there was who knew if they were actual taxi drivers or thieves or smugglers lurking around in the dusk of the morning. Not wanting to make a bad impression on her employees as manager, Karla made a dash down the street, hoping to get to the grand building in less time as possible. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes studied her retrieving form from the safety of a car with the word "taxi" printed on it. She was smart, the onlooker knew, to not trust taxis so early in the morning. He would have been able to get his hands on her if she had come to him to ask for a ride, however her quick instincts and brains had saved her from the fate he had awaited for her. He started the engine and drove of, ignoring the nerves which swam around in him, knowing that he had failed to capture her yet again and obvious to the punishment which awaited him.

 **So I'm going to end another chapter of Win My Love here. The scene from Karla's flashback which showed the first time she and Dave acknowledged each other as friends was inspired by the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which I finally watched today). For those of you who have also watched it, this was based on the scene where Rey and Finn finally find a friend in each other after being alone for so long. The next chapter is also up and I will really love it if you guys checked it out. And for those of you who are still reading this I am entirely grateful and I would really appreciate it if you leave a review to tell me what your thoughts are on the story or even if you just stop by to say hi. I'm always up for making new friends. Enjoy the next chapter and have a great day.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome to the fifth chapter.**

Karla zigzagged through the crowds of people bustling about on their way to their daily businesses. The wind caused her hair to wash over her face, getting stuck in her newly done lip gloss. Her black heels clicked on the pavement, narrowly avoiding going straight into a sewer manhole. Karla ran for her life, she was determined not to be later than she already was. Running around a corner she bumped straight into someone, causing both of them to collapse onto the hard ground. Her documents and his groceries scattered and tumbled all around them as they both got up with pain and exhaustion.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going and... here, let me help you." Karla dropped back onto the ground and started desperately picking up the fruits and vegetables which lay everywhere. However her fast pace only caused her to drop the items which were already piled up in her arms. Growling under her breath in frustration she began to reach for an apple again when a brown furry paw gripped onto her soft delicate hand, stopping it from reaching it.

"Don't worry about it,' the bear said as he handed her all the documents which she had spilled only moments before. Karla stared at him in surprise. How had he managed to pick all of those up in the short time she was struggling with his groceries? She collected her papers from him as he continued, 'it's obvious that you're in a huge rush so you run along. I've got this."

"Are you sure," Karla asked gratefully as she glanced a peak at her wristwatch and felt her stomach fill with dread when she noticed the time.

"Yeah, I'm sure, I can handle situations like this." He presented her with a big cheesy smile which caused her to let out a small laugh. Thanking him she hurried on but the guilt which slowly started eating her up caused her to spin on her heel and rush back over to him. Knowing she didn't have the time to help him pick up the groceries which resulted in falling due to her carelessness, she decided on the next best thing.

"We can help you find any property of your dreams,' she exclaimed as she handed the bear her business card, 'just give us or call or drop by and we can help you find the home of your choice. We excel in any real estate business... bye!" And with that she rushed away.

"Thank you..." He called after her retrieving figure as he stuffed his groceries back into the brown bag which lay crumpled on the sidewalk. As soon as Grizz entered the comfort of his cave he was bombarded with questions from his worried and curious brothers.

"Grizz,' Panda exclaimed dramatically, 'what took you so long."

"Ice Bear waited so long to cook."

"Sorry bros,' Grizz signed sheepishly, 'I ran into some trouble on the way home."

Panda stared at the groceries which Ice Bear walked with towards the kitchen, almost as if he was questioning their existence. "What sort of trouble," he asked, raising an eyebrow questionably. "And why do you have scrapes all over your arms?"

"Ah well it's not really that important,' Grizz said almost too quickly which gave the impression to his brothers that he was defending himself, 'I just bumped into this girl who seemed like she was in a huge rush and it took me some time to pick up all the groceries that I dropped. Grizz handed Panda the business card the girl who seemed so familiar to him had given him. Panda took it, inspecting it as he turned it over several times in his paw.

"Green Tree Real Estate," Panda read aloud.

Grizz rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "You know, I've actually heard about that place. Apparently it's very good and the employees receive a lot of money as well."

"Well Grizz, did you also know that the girl who gave you her card is the manager there?! It says here that her name is Karla Henderson and there's an address and phone number as well."

"Well too bad that we don't need a home cause we got this nice, cozy cave," Grizz rambled as he made his way over to the couch. Ice Bear made his way over to Panda who had made an unexpected yelp of surprise.

"Oh my gosh bros, look at this girl. I think we've finally found her. We've found our Karla!"

* * *

"Excuse me! Sorry I'm late, sorry I'm late! Morning Katie! Hey Cassandra, I'll raise your pay as soon as I can. Sorry, pardon me, pardon me!" Karla gave an exhausted sign as she plopped onto her chair and rolled around ones. Today had been a crazy day for her and the lack of sleep and the exhaustion from running was suffocating her. Thinking it was high time for her to finally get to work, she pulled out her ones clean documents from the safety of her black folder. Karla growled under her breath in frustration when reality hit her and she realised that the papers were no longer in the desired order. She wanted to blame the bear, she wanted to blame anyone apart from herself as she had blamed herself enough today for lingering on the past for too long but deep down inside she knew that it was her again who was at fault for the accident. All because of Dave, her once one and only friend. The person who prevents her from receiving a good night sleep, the person who makes her miss the bus, the person who causes her to run all the way to work and bump into pedestrians on the way. She had often wondered why his face keeps on coming back, was it because he was a friend who could not be replaced or was it simply because of hurt due to his betrayal? But she knew that another factor which consumed her was guilt. If only she had not been so patient as to not try to figure him out. She suspected that his dark and mysterious past had something to do with his strange obsession, (as Karla prevented herself as much as possible from using the word "love,") over her. She was interrupted from her thoughts when a knock was heard at her cubicle door, followed by the door opening and a face peeping around the side.

"Hey there Karla, I came to give you the folder we created on the house by Henburg Street." Karla immediately stood up and brushed down her blouse. She then proceeded to gently place a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she walked over to him. Her face burned and she was sure that that was very obvious to the man standing before her.

"Thank you Henry, I honestly wasn't expecting you to have it completed this soon." Her delicate fingers carefully took the file from his hands while she prayed to not make a scene which she was sure to regret in front of him.

"Well you know me Boss, I'm all seriousness at work when I want to be." He noticed her fidgeting with the corner of the folder and smirked which caused her to turn a darker shade than before. Karla studied the man who was in front of her, Henry Jeshane was tall and handsome. His blond hair gently fell over his eyes and Karla fought against herself to resist the urge to reach out and gently brush the strands of hair away. He shouldn't be making her feel this way, that she knew for certain. A manager wasn't supposed to fall for one of her employees, it made her feel weak and vulnerable in front of him, something which as manager should be prevented. Desperate to break the awkward silence she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"So I was thinking that we should throw a grand party for our 10th year of success. You know, an anniversary party?" _Since when did I even think that?_ _Stupid_ , Karla cursed herself.

"Karla that's a wonderful idea! We can open it up to the public as well to show them our appreciation for being amazing customers. The only problem is though organising it in three days time but I bet it's nothing that our staff can't handle." He talked so carelessly that she was sure that it was only him that was making her feel this way. _Why couldn't not be the other way around_ , she wondered, _then it'll be him and not me who'll feel vulnerable and that's okay cause I'm the manager. It's okay for an employee to feel slightly insecure of their manager anyway, right?_ She hated this feeling, ever since Dave had tried to trap her she had tried as hard as she could to not feel insecure in front of people, afraid that if she let her guard down, an incident from the past would repeat itself.

Henry waltzed out after praising her ones again leaving Karla feeling weaker than before. She placed a hand over her heart as if trying to steady it and went back to sit down. _Just marry me already_. Pulling out a pen she got to work on a paper when a strange tapping sound caused her to whip her head around in confusion. Where had that come from? Deciding to ignore it and not think much of it, Karla got back to work but was again interrupted by the same, strange noise. Finally deciding to investigate she scurried over to the window where she was sure the noise had come from. Turning the lock she yanked the window open and came face to face with three frightened faces which immediately turned to faces of relief when they saw her.

"Um a little help," Grizz pleaded as he grabbed onto the platform which they had stolen from the window cleaner as soon as he disappeared of on a coffee break.

"Hang on," Karla reached out for the snow white paw of the polar bear and pulled him into the safety of her office. After the two had proceeded to pull the other two to safety as well she closed the window and whipped around to face them.

"Oh my gosh, are you guys okay? What were you thinking anyway, my office is like seven stories up. You could have easily taken the lift." She was faced with three faces filled with guilt as the most recognisable bear spoke up.

"We're sorry, we really did try but this guy who was down there told us that you didn't want any visitors at the moment, but we were desperate to see you so we, um, decided to..."

"We're sorry Karla, we saw him again when we were outside your window so we waited for him to leave. But then the thingy flipped and we almost fell." The Panda Bear looked the most frightened out of the three bears and Karla felt her heart melt with sorrow and warmth.

"I'm just glad that you guys are safe. I don't know why Henry didn't let you in, maybe he just thought that I was very busy or something... wait a second, how did you guys know my name? And aren't you the same bear I bumped into this morning?" Karla asked as she extended a slim finger at Grizz. As soon as the first question left her lips she immediately regretted it. Of course they knew who she was, why would they have come to see her otherwise. She had even given them her business card for crying out loud.

"That's me, hi I'm Grizz, but Karla, don't you remember us?" Grizz asked, completely ignoring her first question, much to Karla's satisfaction.

She chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip as she studied each bear in turn. " Well I remember you but..." And suddenly as if reality had decided that now was the correct turn to slap her in the face, Karla gasped in realisation and disbelief, seconds before she ran over to them and threw her arms around Grizz and Ice Bear, hugging all three bears close together with Panda inbetween.

* * *

Dave hurried along the street and looked both ways suspiciously before ducking into an isolated alley. The roofs above were close together, acting as a barrier for the light to enter.

"Hello,' he called out to the empty alley, hearing no answer apart from his own voice echoing back to him from all directions. 'Where are you?" He muttered under his breath. A sudden scrapping sound caused him to turn him to turn 180 degrees around as he came face to face with a tall figure covered from head to toe in a dark black cloak. Dave signed, "Why do you have to be so mysterious anyway?"

"My appearance is of no concern to you.' The figure took a long stride towards him which caused Dave to step back in the opposite direction, his hurry almost resulting him to topple over backwards. 'You don't have the girl." To Dave, it sounded more like a statement rather than a question and he fumbled desperately for a worthy excuse.

"She's smart, I..."

"I KNOW SHE'S SMART YOU PATHETIC IDIOT!" The strange figure bellowed at him, causing him to wince. He took another threatening step towards him and Dave, swallowing his fear, decided to stand his ground. It was only when a arm escaped from the cloak and extended something out to Dave that he stepped back in surprise in fear of it being something unpleasant. When realising that it was just an envelope, Dave took it from his acquaintance with hesitation. He glanced over at the dark figure, when he made no move, Dave slowly opened the envelope, pulling out a thick wide card which appeared to be an invitation of some sort. His brown eyes quickly gazed over the delicate, cursive writing which, seemed obvious to him, was not written by the man standing in front of him.

 _You are invited to the celebration of Green Tree Real Estate's 10th Anniversary celebration._

 _When: Wednesday, the 14th_

 _Where: Clarry Reception Hall_

 _Time: From 8pm onwards_

 _Thank you for being a loving customer_

 _Karla Henderson,_

 _Manager_

"I want you to give me her in three days. Remember, if I don't have her by the end of the party the price shall be her life. If you care about her, then do this for her." And when Dave finally decided to look up, the dark, mysterious figure in the cloak had vaporised into thin air.

 **Once again, thank you for reading. I can't guarantee an exact date for the release of the next chapter. Please review, it will really make my day. Love you all.**


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